Grants to benefit the Community in St. Joseph County

The Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust is managed by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and is dedicated to supporting a diverse range of charitable and public initiatives that benefit the general public within St. Joseph County, Indiana. The Trust was established by Florence Vaughn Carroll, a South Bend native deeply involved in community service and cultural affairs. Her legacy, supported by the financial prudence of her grandfather Edmund C. Westervelt, continues to foster community development through sustained philanthropic support. The mission of the Trust is to fund initiatives in arts, culture, humanities, education, environment, animal welfare, health, human services, public/society benefit, and religion. These broad program areas allow for a wide variety of organizations and projects to apply, as long as they operate within the geographical boundaries of St. Joseph County, Indiana. The Trust does not provide scholarships directly; individuals seeking educational support are directed to external resources like csascholars.org. To be eligible, applicants must be tax-exempt organizations under Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. The average grant awarded ranges between $10,000 and $50,000, with an estimated 30 grants distributed annually. Total annual funding typically amounts to approximately $350,000. The grant is not offered on a rolling basis. Applications must be submitted by June 1 each year to be considered during the annual review meeting. Applications can be submitted online year-round, but only those submitted by the June 1 deadline will be reviewed for that year’s grant cycle. Following submission, applicants will receive an automated confirmation email. While not all projects will be required to submit follow-up documentation, the Trust may request periodic progress and final reports for selected grantees. For further information or assistance, applicants can contact the grant administration team via email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-888-235-4351. Additional background and support information can be found through Wells Fargo’s Trust Philanthropic Services or the Wells Fargo Community Giving platform.